Secular Student Alliance is in full swing

The Secular Student Alliance at WTAMU, an organization for students who do not hold a specific religious faith, is gaining momentum as more people join the organization week after week.

“It’s for the students who have questions and whose questions are not being answered in the way that they want by the religious organizations,” Braden Cohern, president of SSA, said.

As religious organizations on WT campus bring students of similar faiths together, the SSA’s purpose is to help unite students who are not a part of a religion.

“It helps bring people together that are not involved with religions or have a religious affiliation,” Vice-President Michael Hernandez said.

The SSA promotes free thinking and exploring the opinions of others.

“It’s a community for secular students who do not subscribe to religion, or have questions, or just want to know what other people think,” Cohern said.

SSA and its participants thrive on casual conversation and talking about what is on their minds according to Cohern.

“It’s real casual,” Cohern said. “Just come in and we will talk about anything y’all want to talk about.”

From religion and movies to Chupacabras, anything is up for discussion.

“We can talk about subjects that are pertinent to us and just blow off some steam,” Cohern said.

It’s this casual atmosphere and lack of pressure that some students prefer.

“They don’t pressure you to think anything.” Evelyn Richardson, a Social Work major and Alliance member, said. “They don’t force their beliefs on you.”

Hernandez said starting the group was a reassurance that he was not alone in his beliefs.

“[It] was really comforting knowing that there were other people that had the same ideas that I did,” Cohern said. “That I was not the only one.”

The key concept for SSA is to express multiple points of view in a safe, non-judgmental environment. Group meeting are every Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Palace Coffee Shop and accepts all who are interested in attending, religious or not.